NINE
Vanessa visited Rick in the office again but Rick wouldn’t let her breathe as he couldn’t make a sentence without Diane’s name in it.
‘She’s just so lovely, I can’t wait to finally have her as mine,’ he smiled in his thought.
Vanessa stared at him with a side lip smile.
‘I love her so much than life itself,’ he looked at Vanessa and their eyes met.
Vanessa smiled and felt uneasy. She stood up, fiddling with her fingers and walked to the window absentmindedly.
Rick became a little confused noticing her actions.
‘Are you alright?’
Vanessa released her fingers and comported herself, laughing nervously, ‘yea yea, I’m fine.’ She looked out the window and was overwhelmed with the view, ‘wow, what a view!’ she could see from the fifth floor the top of houses in array and nature’s beauty, people walking, cars moving and all. ‘Do you see this?’
‘What?’ Rick asked.
Rick never even noticed anything apart from his work and Diane, so asking that question was actually an odd one for him.
Vanessa gestured with her hand, ‘come see.’
Rick rose and went to her. He looked outside standing beside her.
Vanessa looked at him, ‘don’t tell me you miss this kind of view?’
Rick looked at her in confusion and then outside; he saw nothing. He looked at her again in amazement and then looked outside again, still he saw nothing. He didn’t even know where exactly to look. To him Vanessa was the only insane one in the room if anyone asked.
Vanessa gazed at him seeing his facial expression. Rick saw that and quickly adjusted into her world, he chuckled lightly and she was okay with that.
‘The view is lovely,’ she admired.
‘Yeah it’s cool,’ he responded with his hands in his pocket, taking a silly peek at her. He shook his head wondering if all women are like that, amazed at every little thing or at nothing.
Vanessa looked down the building then rushed back to pick her purse in her bag on the chair. She tucked her hand inside her purse and pulled some notes out; she threw it down the window with smiles.
‘Wha—what are you doing?’ Rick cautioned.
‘Watch this,’ she said grinning. She couldn’t be happier they finally changed topic from Diane.
They looked down the window, watching.
Two guys and a lady were passing by when the money dropped. They looked up but couldn’t see a thing then the guys rushed after the money while the lady stood hesitating, watching the guys.
Vanessa laughed at that and Rick raised his brows and giggled in amazement.
‘Give me,’ she held her hands out as if expecting something from him.
‘What?’ Rick asked.
‘C’mon,’ she tilted her head sideways urging him to answer her and he understood.
Rick dipped his hands into his pocket and brought out a bundle of new notes, he pulled some out of it and gave it to her and she scattered it out of the window piece by piece.
The guys were about walking away when the notes started falling. They looked up and saw it raining down. The lady without hesitation rushed for it, soon there were crowd gnarling for the money on the ground.
Vanessa and Rick laughed their hearts out watching them.
‘Oh man, I saw this in a movie and I didn’t know they actually felt this way when they were doing it. This is fun.’ She said amidst laughter.
‘Yea it is,’ he said laughing.
‘It’s good to do this once in a while.’
‘Yea,’ he nodded, looking down the window, ‘where did you say you saw this?’
‘In a movie,’ she replied amidst laughter, looking down the window.
‘Oh what’s the title?’
‘Don’t remember.’
Rick laughed still looking down the window, ‘I can’t wait to do this with Diane.’
Vanessa changed instantly, her face turned red staring at him, but he was busy enjoying his view down the window to see or notice her.
‘She would laugh her ribs out and I would be happy watching her la—’
‘Stop!’ Vanessa snapped.
He jolted slightly and looked up at her, he withdrew his laughter abruptly.
‘Just stop, can’t you make a sentence without mentioning her name?’
Rick looked confused. They gazed at each other for moments. Then she strode to grab her bag on the chair and made her way out. Rick rushed after her and grabbed her arm, he searched through her eyes but she looked down hiding her face from him.
‘What is it Van, are you alright?’
‘No, I’m not! Vanessa snapped with tears clouding her eyes. ‘I’m not alright,’ she snatched her arm from his hand but Rick held on strong. ‘Is it not enough that I got here late and you are engaged already? Now you have to torture me with her name anytime I’m with you.’
Rick furrowed.
‘I just can’t bear it again,’ she continued. ‘I can’t hide it anymore, I try so hard but I can’t,’ her voice broke and her resolve weakened.
‘What are you saying? What can’t you hide?’
She cried, ‘the fact that we were so close; the fact that I spent more than half of my years with you, th—the fact that I’ve loved you from the moment I set my feet on this planet earth a—and I still do.’
Rick released her arm instantly, shaking his head and stepping backward, folding and unfolding his palms reflexively.
‘You meant it, you meant every word,’ he said under his breath in fear and astonishment as he absentmindedly stepped backwards.
Vanessa rushed and grabbed his arms, talking in rush trying to get to him as if by putting the normal space and punctuations in her words could make Rick change his mind of agreeing to her if he ever was to.
‘And I know you still do too like you used to I know you still love me you just don’t know ‘cos I was so far away.’
Rick shook his head dumbfounded, trying to twist himself from her hold but she held on tight.
‘I went so far away and I’m so sorry, but now I’m back for you and never to go away again,’ she sniffled, ‘we can start from where we left, I love you Rick.’
‘No, no!’ Rick snatched himself away from her and she jolted, ‘I can’t,’ he resumed stepping backwards till the table stopped him. He looked at the table and rested his hand on it with the other hand rubbing his head in confusion. He was so disoriented and confused.
Vanessa stood still and wept bitterly, she shed tears profusely. Rick looked at her and she sniffled and wiped her face with the back of her hand and then she stormed out of the room. Rick stretched his hand as if to stop her but he couldn’t utter a word, he folded his palm and jerked as Vanessa slammed the door behind her.
Rick pushed into the house with his suitcase. He dropped the suitcase and grabbed Diane’s arms, Diane wondered at him, it was obvious he was bothered about something.
‘Are you okay my love?’ she asked.
‘Let’s get married,’ Rick said looking into her eyes.
Diane frowned at him, she didn’t know whether to be happy or be worried.
Mrs. Vaughn couldn’t be happier with the news, she talked with excitement.
‘I’m taking many IVs, I have lots of people to invite. I will invite the whole Trace town.’
Rick watched his mother as he sat on the floor with his side resting on the sofa she sat on. Diane walked in towards them with a package of cloth in her hands.
‘The whole Trace town?’
Rick chuckled lightly. ‘She so much cherishes that Trace town of hers whereas it’s just a village and nothing close to a town.’
Diane laughed, and Rick chuckled.
Mrs. Vaughn pushed Rick’s head.
‘It’s your town too silly and don’t be too quick to laugh cos she’s laughing at your silliness.’
Rick wondered if that was true.
Diane laughed again, ‘he forgot that fact.’
‘And Trace town is a town and not a village. I’m inviting a whole lot of people whether you want it or not; you know Mrs. Dan will want to come too.
‘Mother we haven’t printed the cards yet, we haven’t even picked a date we just told you we are ready,’ Rick said.
‘Mom, you are going to have as many IVs as you want, just mention,’ she said taking a seat beside Mrs. Vaughn on the same sofa with her leg folded on the sofa and the other one behind Rick on the floor.
‘Do you even need IVs for that? I think what you need is a public address system,’ Rick said smiling.
The women looked at him and Diane shook her head in pity for him and turned to Mrs. Vaughn.
‘Here mom,’ Diane gave her the cloth, ‘what do you think?’
Mrs. Vaughn checked the cloth out, ‘this is beautiful; who picked it?’
‘Shannel did.’
‘Wow! She has eyes for beauty.’
Diane laughed, ‘you can say that again. You are picking the date for us mom.’
‘Of course I will; I just have to talk to the Father first so he could pray over it.’
‘Okay.’
Rick looked up, ‘is that necessary?’
The women looked at him in awe.
‘Of course it is; everything needs prayer especially an occasion like this one. We need God to go before us and even with us, and I taught you that. Gosh Diane what’s this boy turning into?’
‘He learns slow mom,’ Diane laughed.
‘Common mom, I was just pulling your legs, you should know I wouldn’t do anything without God’s consent, I wouldn’t kick against that opinion of yours,’ he chuckled and put his head on her laps.
Mrs. Vaughn smiled and caressed his head on her laps and pulls on Diane’s head gently to her chest, ‘come here my baby,’ she caressed their heads with smiles.
‘This union will be the best on planet earth and no man will come between you. Nevertheless, God’s will, will prevail.’
‘Amen. Thank you mother,’ they cheered happily.
‘I need to rest I’m so tired,’ Mrs. Vaughan said.
‘I will get your bath ready, you need to shower after that journey,’ Rick sprang up and rushed in.
‘I will prepare you something to eat,’ Diane followed.
‘And about the public address system, get me twenty.’
Rick and Diane stepped on it instantly and turned back to her in shock and with their eyes widened at her.
Mrs. Vaughn nodded up at Rick, ‘what?’
’Twenty? I was only joking around.’
‘I know,’ Mrs. Vaughn responded rather sharp.
Rick was confused by her response. He furrowed at his mother who seemed not to care and was already stretching herself on the sofa which made Rick more confused.
Diane burst into laughter watching the scene and walked away. Rick frowned at the two of them and slowly turned around and walked in, still trying to wrap his head around what just happened.
Mrs. Vaughn smiled with a tinge of chuckle as she watched him leave.
Few preparations started while they awaited the date from their mother. Diane couldn’t be happier but as happier as Rick could have been, he was always in thoughts and absentminded almost all the days.
He sat up in his living room lost in thought. He couldn’t take his mind off Vanessa since the day she sprouted those words at him when she visited his office. Vanessa’s words echoed in his head.
The fact that we were so close; the fact that I spent more than half of my years with you; th— the fact that I’ve loved you from the moment I set my feet on this planet earth a-and I still do.
He moved his head sideways looking so disturbed,
I went so far away and I’m so sorry, but now I’m back for you and never to go away again, I love you Rick.
Rick sighed heavily.
I love you Rick. The words echoed in his head.
Rick couldn’t help but remember the pain he had gone through years back. The pain he had tried so hard forgetting, burying it deep in his soul and he succeeded with Diane’s love, only for Vanessa to appear and open all his wounds, all the memories he had buried deep in his soul. A tear or two clouded his eyes at the thought of the incident. He would give anything not to remember this now and forget it forever.